Luggage case with removable large wheels

ABSTRACT

Removable large wheels for a luggage case, having two permanent sleeves inserted in holes drilled in the pre-existing small wheel mounting blocks which contain the pre-existing small wheels. Two axles, one in each of the sleeves, with a permanent stop at the inner end of each axle and a spring loaded button at the outer end of each axle. The large wheels have an extended tubular part at the hub on the inner side of each wheel which prevents the wheel from touching the outer edge of the luggage when installed. The axle can be extended outward to accept the large wheel, which is maintained on the axle by a spring loaded button. When not in use, the axle can be retracted back into the sleeve. When retracted the axles are prevented from moving in either direction by the pressure of the spring loaded buttons against the inner wall of the sleeves.

This application is a continuation-in-part of prior copending U.S.patent application Ser. No. 10/059,793, filed Jan. 29, 2002, the benefitof which is claimed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to luggage, more particularly to wheeledluggage, and especially to luggage having large wheels.

2. Description of the Related Art

At the present time, carry-on luggage for travel by aircraft is usuallyprovided with wheels to aid in their transport and improve mobility.Such wheels are restricted in size to allow maximum size for the luggageitself which is limited in extent by the airlines. For example, UnitedAirlines restricts carry-on luggage to 22 by 14 by 9 inches. AmericanAirlines restricts carry-on luggage to 23 by 13 by 9 inches. BritishAirways restricts carry-on luggage to 22 by 16 by 8 inches.

Even larger luggage which must be checked is generally provided withrelatively small wheels.

Accordingly, there is a need for means providing luggage with largerwheels for greater ease in transport but which can be removed when nolonger necessary.

Applicant is unaware of any prior art providing for a removable largewheel which can be added to small wheeled carry-on luggage or largerluggage which must be checked and then removed just before boardingaircraft or just before checking larger luggage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to provide large wheels which can be addedto or removed from a luggage case having small wheels so that theluggage case can be more easily transported and rendered more mobile.

Another object of the invention is to provide large removable wheelswhich, after being removed from luggage having small wheels, can bestored either inside the luggage or in outside pockets attached to theluggage case.

The present invention provides two large wheels, two sleeves to beinserted through holes in the small wheel mounting blocks, and two smallaxles inserted in those sleeves, with a spring loaded button at theouter end of each axle and a stop affixed to the inner end of each axleto maintain the wheels in place when installed on the axles.

The small wheel mounting blocks of the carry-on luggage case are drilledwith appropriate size holes to accept the sleeves which support theaxles which hold the large wheels. Each axle has a spring loaded buttonat the outer end and a stop on the inner end to hold the large wheel inplace when the wheel is installed. Each axle is long enough to acceptthe large wheel when extended. Each axle is prevented from leaving thesleeve by the stop on the inner end of the axle.

The large wheels are installed by depressing the spring loaded buttonand sliding the wheels onto the axles and over the spring loaded button.When released, the spring loaded button again protrudes and the wheelsare held in position between the spring loaded button and the outer sideof the small wheel mounting block.

The large wheels are removed by depressing the spring loaded buttons andsliding the wheels over the spring loaded buttons and off the axles. Theaxles are then retracted back into the sleeves and are prevented frommoving ineither direction by the pressure of the spring loaded buttonsagainst the inner wall of the sleeves.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a further understanding of the objects and advantages of the presentinvention, reference should be had to the following detaileddescription, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, inwhich like parts are given like reference numbers and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention showing acarry-on luggage case with a large wheel installed.

FIG. 2 is an exploded rear elevational view of the large wheels ready tobe installed on the luggage case.

FIG. 2A is an enlargement of a portion of the view of FIG. 2 showing theaxle retracted into the sleeve with the spring loaded button depressedinto the axle;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of an embodiment of the inventionshowing a carry-on luggage case with a large wheel in exploded viewshowing the axles extended and ready for installation of the wheels withthe spring loaded button protruding from the axle.

FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of an embodiment of the inventionshowing a carry-on luggage case with the large wheels installed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in the drawings, a preferred embodiment of the invention has acarry-on luggage case 10 (FIG. 1) with removable large wheels in place.Luggage case 10 has a pouch or pockets attached to the exterior sidethereof to receive the two large wheels 12 when they are uninstalled.

The luggage case 10 is provided with small wheels 11 contained in themounting blocks 13. Holes are drilled in the mounting blocks 13 topermanently contain the sleeves 14 which support the axles 15. Thesleeves 14 which support the axles 15 are concealed horizontally withinthe small wheel mounting blocks 13 and are not visible but are indicatedby dotted lines at 14 in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4.

The sleeves 14 hold the axles 15. The axles 15 hold the large wheels 12.The large wheels 12 are formed with inward-projecting tubular extensions16 on the inner side of the large wheels 12 which prevent the largewheels 12 from contacting the outer sides of the luggage case wheninstalled.

Spring loaded buttons 17 at the ends of axles 15 keep the large wheels12 from falling off of the axles 15. The large wheels 12 may be held inplace by many kinds of fasteners, such as a pin inserted through a holein the outer end of the axle 15.

The large wheels 12 may remain mounted on the axles 15 at all times, butif it becomes necessary to remove the large wheels 12 they are easilyuninstalled by depressing spring loaded buttons 17, removing the largewheels 12, again depressing spring loaded buttons 17, and manuallyretracting the axles 15 back into the sleeves 14 where they areprevented leaving the sleeves 14 in either direction by the pressure ofspring loaded buttons 17 against the inner wall of sleeves 14.

The axles 15 are prevented from slipping all the way out of the sleeves14 by stops 19 (seen in FIGS. 2A and 2) which are permanently affixed tothe inner ends of axles 15 and are of the same diameter as sleeves 14.The axles 15 are further prevented from leaving the sleeves 14 in eitherdirection by the pressure of spring loaded buttons 17 against the innerwall of sleeves 14.

FIG. 3 shows luggage case 10 with axles 15 extended ready forinstallation of large wheels 12. Large wheels 12 are installed. Springloaded buttons 17 maintain the large wheels 12 on the axles 15 betweenthe spring loaded buttons 17 and the outer side of mounting blocks 13.

The large wheels 12 are installed by manually extending axles 15 out ofthe sleeves 14, depressing spring loaded buttons 17 and sliding thelarge wheels 12 over the spring loaded buttons 17 which again protrudefrom the axles 15 and maintain the large wheels 12 on the axles 15 in aposition between the spring loaded buttons 17 and the outer side of themounting blocks 13.

To uninstall the large wheels 12, spring loaded buttons 17 aredepressed, the large wheels 12 are slipped over the spring loadedbuttons 17 and off the axles 15. The spring loaded buttons 17 are againdepressed and the axles manually retracted back into the sleeves 14where they are prevented from leaving the sleeves 14 in either directionby the pressure of spring loaded buttons 17 against the inner wall ofsleeves 14.

Large wheels 12 may be made of any suitable material such as ABS plasticor nylon or metal with a co-injected rubber tread portion.

The terms “fastener” and “fasteners” have been replaced by the terms“spring loaded button” and “spring loaded buttons” wherever they appearin application Ser. No. 10/059,793. With the substitution of this methodof attaching removable large wheels to luggage with small wheels thefastener “18” and the stop “23” have become unnecessary and have beendeleted from the text and drawings in this continuation-in-part.

Although I have described the invention in detail with reference to theaccompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of theinvention, it is understood that numerous changes may be made in thedetails of construction and arrangement of parts without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

1. In a luggage case provided with small wheels mounted on small wheelmounting blocks located at the bottom of said luggage case, said luggagecase having an outside pocket on the exterior side of said luggage case,the improvement comprising: a plurality of holes drilled in the smallwheel mounting blocks located at the bottom of said luggage case; twosleeves inserted permanently in said holes in said mounting blocks, twosmall axles being inserted into said sleeves of said mounting blocks;two large wheels, each with a molded extension at the hub thereof ofsufficient length to prevent each said large wheel from contacting theouter edge of the luggage case when installed; and a spring loadedbutton located at the outer end of each of said axles to secure eachsaid large wheel in position, whereby the luggage case may be moved onthe large wheels with the small wheels in place on the mounting blocks.2. A luggage case with small wheels and removable large wheels,comprising: a luggage case having a bottom; a plurality of mountingblocks attached to said bottom; a sleeve permanently inserted in each ofsaid mounting blocks; an axle inserted into each of said sleeves; alarge wheel mountable on each of said axles, each said large wheelhaving a molded extension at the hub thereof to prevent said large wheelfrom touching the outer edge of the luggage case when inserted at theouter end of each axle; and a spring loaded button at the outer end ofeach axle to hold said large wheels in position, whereby the luggagecase may be moved on said large wheels with the small wheels in place onsaid mounting blocks.
 3. A luggage case with small wheels and removablelarge wheels according to claim 2 in which the exterior of said luggagecase is provided with an outside pocket for storage of said largewheels.
 4. In a luggage case provided with small wheels located onmounting blocks at the bottom of said luggage case, the improvementcomprising: a hole drilled in each of said mounting blocks; a sleevepermanently inserted in each of said holes of said mounting blocks; anaxle inserted in each of said sleeves; a large wheel removably mountableon each of said axles, each of said large wheels having a moldedextension at the hub of sufficient length to prevent the large wheelfrom contacting the outer edge of said luggage case when installed; anda spring loaded button on the outer end of each of said axles to preventthe large wheels from falling off.
 5. Luggage with removable largewheels, comprising: a luggage case having a bottom and sides; a pair ofmounting blocks at the bottom of said luggage case, each of saidmounting blocks containing a horizontal sleeve, each of said sleeveshaving a movable axle therein; each of said axles having a retractedposition and an extended position in said sleeves, a pair of wheels eachhaving a tubular extension at the hub to prevent the wheels fromcontacting the sides of the luggage case when installed, and a springloaded butten at the outer end of each axle to maintain the wheel on theaxle when installed.
 6. Luggage with removable large wheels as set forthin claim 5, wherein said axle in said retracted position is retained insaid sleeve by the pressure of the spring loaded button against theinner wall of said sleeve.
 7. Luggage with removable large wheels as setforth in claim 5, wherein a spring loaded button pressing against theinner wall of said sleeve retains said axle in the retracted position.8. Luggage with removable large wheels as set forth in claim 5, furthercomprising a stop affixed to the inner end of said axle, said stop beingof the same diameter as said sleeve thereby preventing said axle fromexiting said sleeve beyond the extended position.
 9. Luggage withremovable large wheels as set forth in claim 5, wherein said tubularextension at the hub contacts the outer surface of said mounting c blockand prevents the inner surface of said wheel from contacting the outersurface of said luggage case.
 10. Luggage with removable large wheels asset forth in claim 5, further comprising a spring loaded buttoncontained in said axle, said spring loaded button biased to protrudefrom said axle, said spring loaded button being depressible to allowsaid wheel to slide over said spring loaded button onto said axle whenreleased to again protrude from said axle to retain said wheel on saidaxle.
 11. Luggage with removable large wheels as set forth in claim 11,wherein said spring loaded button is depressible to allow said axle toslide into said sleeve when said wheel is removed, said spring loadedbutton being biased to protrude from said axle and press against theinner wall of said sleeve maintaining said axle in the retractedposition within said sleeve.